Protozoal disease, which is caused by giardia in humans - L is called giardiasis. It is quite widespread and arises as a result of the development of the vital activity of parasites in the liver, as well as in the small intestine. When infected, the person remains “healthy” to a greater extent, but at the same time, the infection of others occurs, because it is the focus of infection. According to statistics in our country, infection among adults is about 10%. And in children's groups in 40% of cases there are lamblia in children, while symptoms do not appear immediately.
Ways of infection are quite extensive. You can become infected by contact with a patient or after playing with a street cat, a dog, which, like mouse rodents, are carriers. In addition, you increase the likelihood of parasites entering the body if you drink unboiled water from the tap. Or you can swim in polluted water bodies, in which Giardia cysts also live. For infection, you only need to swallow 10 pieces and have a low acidity. If these factors coincide - you are the "happy" owner of giardiasis.
Depending on the sources, the following infection paths are distinguished:
- water - in this case, infection occurs due to the use of unboiled tap water. Also while swimming in open water;
- contact-household - as a result of communication with the carrier of the disease, more precisely when contacting through joint objects. Toys, dishes, linen can become a habitat for Giardia cysts. In children who constantly pull their hands in their mouths (biting nails, pencils, pens) or play with street animals, lamblia occurs in 99.9% of cases. Therefore, the need to regularly and efficiently wash hands is in the first place.
- food - infection occurs as a result of eating foods that are not subject to heat treatment. This is especially true for greens, fresh fruits, berries and, of course, vegetables. Encourage children to thoroughly wash juicy treats before use.
Two forms of the existence of giardia in the human body are known. Parasites begin their life activity in a vegetative form in the upper sector of the small intestine. With this form of lamblia in children, symptoms may not occur. Only in the acute form of giardiasis is diarrhea observed at normal or slightly elevated temperature for a week. This disease is easily confused with an intestinal infection. Because in the presence of giardia in children, the symptoms are typical of some other bowel diseases.
After passing through the small intestine, the lamblia fall into a thick and converted into a cyst. Which goes to the external environment, maintaining its vital activity for more than 2 months in the presence of a humid environment. Otherwise, she lives no more than 5 days.
Chronic forms of lamblia infestation are observed mainly in children of preschool and primary school age. In the absence of appropriate treatment, the disease leads to chronic, inflammatory processes and a weakening of the immune system.
With lamblia invasion in children, symptoms:
- atypical state of weakness, fatigue, unmotivated irritability, a significant decrease in appetite or refusal to eat, frequent headaches, mild dizziness, anxious sleep;
- pallor and dryness of the skin, especially on the face (with an adequate level of hemoglobin);
- uneven skin color on the neck, abdomen, armpits;
- "Goosebumps" mainly on the elbows and knees;
- cracked lip rim;
- atopic dermatitis;
- frequent bloating, rumbling, flatulence, unstable stool, pain during palpation of the abdomen in the right hypochondrium
- enlargement of the liver, anemia, intestinal dysbiosis.
If you find the above symptoms, be sure to ask how to treat giardia in children?